The Long Road Home

The morning sun barely pierced through the thick mist that hung over the battlefield. The air was heavy with the scent of blood and burnt earth, remnants of the brutal fight the day before.

Slowly, the Konoha forces began their march back to the Land of Fire. Weary shinobi moved in disciplined ranks, their faces set with exhaustion but their bodies refusing to falter.

At the center of the formation, a sturdy carriage rolled forward, carrying the gravely wounded Second Hokage. Its wooden frame creaked under the weight of the heavy silence surrounding it.

Tetsuma and Hiruzen walked side by side, positioned at the front and sides of the carriage like unshakable sentinels. Their expressions were unreadable, but their eyes never stopped scanning the surroundings. No one aside from the standby medic and the carriage driver was allowed near.

The tension among the troops was palpable. It had been a miracle that the Hokage survived. Some still questioned if he truly had. Only a handful of people had seen the state he was in before the operation. Those who had knew that it wasn't a wound a man could survive under normal circumstances.

But this was Senju Tobirama. A man who had defied death more times than any of them could count.

Even so, Tetsuma remained on high alert. This journey back to Konoha was not a victory march—it was a desperate retreat. An opportunity for their enemies to strike.

His grip tightened around the handle of his sword as he spoke in a low voice, only for Hiruzen to hear.

"We can't afford to let our guard down. If they come for him, it won't be in the open. It'll be a shadow attack."

Hiruzen nodded, his face grim. "We'll be ready."

The march continued. The sound of boots against the dirt, the occasional snort of a horse, and the rustling of armor were the only sounds that accompanied them.

Somewhere in the distance, a lone bird cried out, disappearing into the sky.

The sun dipped lower in the sky as the weary Konoha forces arrived at the last town before crossing into the Land of Fire. The settlement was small—barely more than a cluster of buildings at the crossroads—but it was the final place they could rest before completing their return journey.

The moment they entered, however, Tetsuma felt it.

An unnatural stillness. The kind that only came before bloodshed.

His eyes flickered to the rooftops, to the alleyways, to the shadows between buildings. They were being watched.

Then, like a storm breaking over a calm sea, the ambush began.

Tens of rogue shinobi erupted from their hiding places, a mix of missing-nin, bounty hunters, and mercenaries drawn by the scent of opportunity. Their target was obvious—the carriage carrying the Second Hokage.

"Protect the Hokage!" Hiruzen roared, his staff whirling as he struck down the first attacker.

Tetsuma didn't waste words. He moved.

The first rogue shinobi that got too close had his head separated from his shoulders in a single clean stroke. Steel Release coated Tetsuma's arms as he blocked a barrage of kunai, the weapons clattering uselessly against his reinforced skin.

An explosion rocked the ground near the carriage, but the Konoha forces held firm.

A group of mercenaries attempted to swarm the vehicle, only to be cut down by a coordinated defense from Konoha's ANBU.

But the real danger came from above.

Tetsuma barely had time to react before three rogue shinobi dropped from the rooftops, aiming straight for the carriage.

He met them mid-air.

Sparks flew as blades clashed. He twisted, dodging a thrust, then drove his elbow into one attacker's chest, crushing ribs and sending the man flying.

The second rogue slashed at his throat—Tetsuma bent backwards, feeling the blade whistle past his skin—before he grabbed the attacker's wrist and snapped it in one brutal motion.

The third almost landed on the carriage itself. Almost.

Tetsuma's sword cut him down before his feet touched the wood.

Blood splattered onto the dusty ground.

Despite their exhaustion, the Konoha forces fought like cornered beasts, their desperation pushing them beyond their limits. The battle stretched on, but soon, the bodies of their enemies littered the town.

One by one, the remaining rogue shinobi realized their mistake.

They had underestimated Tetsuma Senju.

They had underestimated Hiruzen Sarutobi.

They had underestimated Konoha.

The last few survivors fled into the darkness, leaving their dead behind.

Tetsuma wiped the blood from his blade and turned toward the carriage. The Hokage still lived.

But they couldn't afford another attack like this.

They had to reach Konoha. Fast.